Anyone Else But You

Chapter 23 - A Slap in the Face and a Surprise Visit

                                        Jason Mraz – I Won’t Give Up

“You told him you loved him? Shit Maddie, that’s big!” Maddie nodded nervously at her sister as they sat opposite each other at the kitchen table. She’d just confessed what she’d done last night to her sister, Kate looked shocked as she stopped with her piece of toast half way to her mouth.

“I know, but it felt like the right thing to do.” Maddie stared into her nearly empty coffee cup trying to avoid the look of judgement that she was sure would be on her sister’s face.

“Did you mean it?” Maddie looked up sharply, Kate was scrutinizing her reaction.

“Of course I bloody meant it, do you think I’d have said it if I didn’t mean it. I’m not the sort of person that goes around telling people I love them. K I’ve never felt this way before, it’s like I need him to survive. When I’m not with him all I can think about is him, I’m literally lost without him. You know I don’t usually talk about boys this way but Jasper, Jasper’s different.” Maddie bit her lip as she waited for her sister to say something. Kate broke into a huge smile and relief flooded Maddie’s system.

“I’m happy for you Mads, it’s nice to see you so happy and in love.” The two of them finished their breakfasts and headed out the door to go to school. Jasper and Lucy were just coming out of their door at the same time, Maddie smiled shyly at Jasper as he reached for her hand.

“Good morning.” He smiled and kissed her softly on the lips, Kate and Lucy walked off in front of the two of them. Judging by their glances behind them, they were talking about the previous evening’s events. Jasper intertwined his fingers with Maddie’s making her forget about everybody and everything else.

*

Ali and her friends had taken over the common room when Maddie went to her locker at break time. She felt their stares on her as soon as she walked through the door, it was like they had sensed her coming and had grouped together to meet her as a pack. Walking to her locker she ignored the smirks and sneers of all the girls, turning her back so that she didn’t have to see them at all.

“She thinks she’s so much better than us, than you Ali.” One of the girls stated out loud.

“That’s what stealing someone else’s boyfriend does to you. Makes you think you’re more superior, put you on a high horse above everybody else.” Somebody else quipped in. Maddie tried to ignore them as she pulled her history textbook from her bag and grabbed her English Literature folder out of her locker.

“Look at her trying to ignore us, knowing full well that she isn’t better than us. Knowing what she’s done to her friends.” Maddie closed her locker and swung her bag back over her shoulder. She cautioned a glance towards the group, when Ali locked eyes with her she looked away leaving Maddie staring blankly at her. Sighing to herself, Maddie walked out of the common room ignoring the further comments from the group surrounding Ali.

“That’s it keep walking. You’re not welcome in here anymore and don’t you think about playing for the football team anymore.” Maddie froze holding the door open, she couldn’t have heard that right. She turned to look at the group, all but one were sneering at her; the other – Ali – was sat in shocked silence, mouth gaping at the girls around her. Maddie shook her head and walked out of the room, knowing she’d played her last match for the school’s football team. For just a moment she thought Ali might have said something but that flicker was smothered when no words came out of her friend’s mouth.